Fugitive Investigations

In fiscal year 2014, the Marshals apprehended more than 33,000
federal fugitives, clearing approximately 36,800 federal warrants.

Working with authorities at the federal, state, and local levels, U.S.
Marshals-led fugitive task forces arrested more than 71,000 state and local
fugitives, clearing 89,131 state and local felony warrants.

The USMS established the
15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program in 1983 in an effort to
prioritize the investigation and apprehension of high-profile
offenders who are considered to be some of the country’s most
dangerous fugitives. These offenders tend to be career
criminals with histories of violence or whose instant offense(s)
pose a significant threat to public safety. Current and past
fugitives in this program include murderers, sex offenders, major
drug kingpins, organized crime figures, and individuals wanted for
high-profile financial crimes. Since the program began in 1983, 229
15 Most Wanted fugitives have been arrested.

Major
Cases

The USMS established its
Major Case Fugitive Program in 1985 in an effort to supplement the
successful 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program. Much like
the 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program, the Major Case Fugitive
Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of
high-profile offenders who are considered to be some of the
country’s most dangerous individuals. These offenders tend to
be career criminals with histories of violence or whose instant
offense(s) pose a significant threat to public safety. All escapes from custody
are automatically elevated to Major Case status.

The USMS has a long history of providing
assistance and expertise to other federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations. The USMS is the lead agency for 60
interagency fugitive task forces located throughout the United
States, as well as seven Congressionally-funded regional fugitive task
forces. These task forces, staffed by federal, state, and
local law enforcement agencies, target the most dangerous
fugitives.

The U.S. Marshals Service
has been designated by the Department of Justice as the primary
agency to apprehend fugitives who are wanted by foreign nations and
believed to be in the United States. Also, the Marshals Service is
the primary agency responsible for tracking and extraditing
fugitives who are apprehended in foreign countries and wanted for
prosecution in the United States. The U.S. Marshals Service, which
has statutory responsibility for all international, federal and
state extraditions, sees to it that there is no safe haven for
criminals who flee the territorial boundaries of the United
States.

Sex Offender Investigations Branch

The Sex Offender Investigations Branch (SOIB)
was created following the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection
and Safety Act (AWA), which became law on July 27, 2006. The SOIB
carries out the USMS’s three principal responsibilities under the
AWA: assist state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in the
location and apprehension of non-compliant and fugitive sex
offenders; investigate violations of the act for federal
prosecution; and assist in the identification and location of sex
offenders relocated as a result of a major disaster. To ensure the
safety of communities and children across the country, the USMS has
implemented an aggressive enforcement strategy for its
responsibilities under the AWA.

National Sex Offender Targeting Center

The U.S. Marshals Service National Sex Offender Targeting Center
collaborates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children and the Department of Justice’s Sex Offender Sentencing,
Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking Office to support
all levels of law enforcement in pursuing unregistered and
non-compliant sex offenders.

Gang Enforcement

The USMS Gang Enforcement model is a robust, focused,
and cost effective multi-level approach that targets violent
fugitives with gang affiliations as the centerpiece of its
methodology. The USMS Gang Enforcement model utilizes the extremely
effective USMS fugitive task force network to coordinate the efforts
and the expertise of various federal, state, and local agencies to
execute its initiatives. This approach allows Gang Enforcement to
remove violent gang members, weapons, and drugs, from our
communities in an effective, focused, and cost efficient manner.

The USMS also is a key member of the Department of Justice’s Project
Safe Neighborhood’s Anti-Gang Training Program, National Gang
Targeting, Enforcement, and Coordination Center, and the National
Gang Intelligence Center.

The Technical Operations Group (TOG) provides the U.S.
Marshal Service, other federal agencies, and any requesting state or
local law enforcement agency, with the most timely and
technologically advanced electronic surveillance and investigative
intelligence available in the world. TOG operates from 8 Regional
Technical Operations Centers (RTOC) and 21 field offices throughout
the U.S. and Mexico.

The Criminal Intelligence
Branch provides investigative research and analysis in support of
various Marshals Service operations and provides oversight of
special law enforcement information systems used by the Marshals
Service and management of data sharing projects with other
agencies.

The Financial Surveillance Unit (FSU) utilizes legal
process and various sources to track a fugitive’s financial
activities in “real time” by analyzing debit cards, credit cards,
fund transfers, and a host of other credit and banking transactions
and information. Since its inception, FSU has been a tremendously
successful tool used in fugitive investigations.